Abstract: Carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystem plays an important role in global carbon cycle and climate change, while land is an important factor affecting the carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, using the ArcGIS software and InVEST model, we analyzed land use changes in the Dongting Lake Eco-economic Zoneand the impact of such changes on carbon storage based on the data in 2005, 2010, and 2015. The results showed that during the period 2005-2015, the land use of the study area had changed greatly. The areas of other woodland, reservoir/pond, urban land, other construction land and bare land increased, while those of paddy field, dry land, forest land, spinney, open woodland and lake decreased. Driven by the land use change, carbon storage of the Dongting Lake Eco-economic Zone showed an general downward trend from 2005 to 2015, from 11.67×10⁸ t in 2005 to 11.52×10⁸ t in 2015, with a reduction of 1.28%. According to the analysis of carbon stock transfer matrix, the main reasons for the reduction of regional carbon storage were the decrease of farmland and forest land as well as the increase of construction land.

Key words: land use change, carbon storage, the Dongting Lake Eco-economic Zone, InVEST model.